Christmas Reunions
by laumeidelfin
Summary: Seth Rollins is finishing up his Christmas shopping when he comes to the one person he no longer knows well enough to buy for - Roman Reigns. Torn between his memories from their first Christmas together and the decision to call Roman and ask, a chain of events is set off within the last five days before Christmas that changes his life - and Roman's - for good.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note** : I didn't plan on writing anything Roman/Seth related, but then I just started writing this earlier today and then a small, five-chaptered story began forming in my head. This takes place between December 21st-25th, and I'm hoping to post a new chapter every day, possibly taking place on each day, with each chapter interlinked to the previous one, but I can't make any promises. Each chapter will begin with a flashback, so there's no confusion, and hopefully, should be around 3000 words. Either way, I hope you enjoy :)

* * *

" _What is one thing you hate about Christmas?" He asks, taking a sip from the warm mug of hot chocolate that Roman had prepared for him, a small smile on his face as he swallows the liquid and watches the older man ponder his question for a few minutes. If you had told him when he first joined the WWE that he would end up in a relationship with a man that had essentially become his best friend, he would have arched his eyebrow at you and stated that he was already in a happy, loving relationship with his fiancee. But somehow, the two of them had started having troubles and Seth had found himself running towards Roman, who not only experienced similar troubles with his own relationship at the beginning of their shield Days, but was also the only single man Seth could call himself close to._

 _He's in Roman's bed, blankets wrapped around his waist, Roman's sweater on his body to warm him up as Roman arches an eyebrow at him with his own small smile. Christmas is a week away and while Seth knows both of them are done their shopping, Seth finds himself curious about Roman and Christmas in general, especially since it's their first Christmas_ _ **together**_ _._

 _Roman is next to him in the bed, feet wrapped around his as he looks upwards and Seth is about to nudge him gently, wondering if maybe the other man got lost in his thoughts - something that, when Seth learned about, he found incredibly adorable - only to stop when Roman looks at Seth and breathes lightly, opening his mouth._

" _The way people try to…" he pauses here, clearly searching for the right word while Seth leans forward, wondering how the statement is going to be completed._

" _The way people try to take advantage of others. I mean, sure, you have your sales, which aren't_ _ **really**_ _sales, but you also have scams and general rudeness, alongside more thieves coming out of the woodwork. Christmas is meant for family and happiness and all around treating people better, even though you should be treating people well_ _ **anyways**_ _, and then those things happen and I just… hate it." Roman's voice is soft but passionate and Seth knows he can get lost in the man speaking, can get lost in his voice when he tells a story but he finds himself blushing as the words are comprehended. While he understands where the other man is coming from, and he most definitely agrees, he feels a little bit of shame in himself for not thinking about those things when he answered his own question about his least favorite thing about Christmas, a simple 'the crowds' enough for him._

" _It's a good reason," he whispers, clearing his throat and nudging Roman before taking another sip of the hot chocolate, a small moan escaping from his mouth at the taste of the liquid and how rich it is. The silence between the two of them is comfortable, but Seth can't help but notice that Roman is continuously looking at him, and it causes him to move around, feeling slightly uncomfortable before he lets himself smirk at Roman._

" _Find something interesting to look at, or-?" He teases, finishing his drink and placing it on the nightstand next to the bed quickly before looking towards a laughing Roman with an arched eyebrow._

" _I'm actually wondering if you want to each open a present now and then wait for the morning," Roman whispers, arms wrapping around Seth's waist, and Seth feels a thrill shoot through his body, though he finds himself not sure if it's because of the idea of spending the night with the man, something he's still getting used to, or because of his arms wrapping around him._

" _I see no reason to not open a gift now," Seth whispers, tongue darting out to wet his dry lips as he reluctantly pulls away from Roman's warmth and leaves the bed, going to the small dresser where his gift is hidden. When he finally gather's the gift, he smiles while jumping back onto the bed, moving his body back under the covers as he hands Roman the small gift, arching an eyebrow as he takes his own gift from Roman._

" _You go first." He whispers, teeth biting down on his lower lip, nerves rushing through his body as he watches Roman remove the wrapping and then open the box. His heart stops when he sees Roman stare at his gift, and Seth wonders if maybe it's too soon, maybe Roman's not ready, but then Roman places his hand in the box and pulls out a key and looks at Seth with a wide grin and Seth knows that Roman is happy._

" _I figured, since we briefly mentioned it, maybe you could move in after the season," Seth responds softly, thanking the gods that the room surrounding them is dark due to the night sky and the lights on low._

" _Of course I'll move in with you," Roman responds and Seth grins up at him, leaning forward to kiss him softly before grabbing his own gift from Roman and unwrapping it, slowly, just to tease the other man, since he knows how much Roman enjoys watching people receive their gifts._

 _When Roman lets out a small whine and nudges him, Seth chuckles softly before finishing the unwrapping, arching an eyebrow at the small jewellery box in front of him, opening it with curiosity before his heart stops at the chain in front of him, attached to an all too similar ring he's seen from Roman's side of the family. Eyes beginning to water, he looks up at the older man before looking back down and taking the ring into his fingers, looking at the Samoan etchings on the ring as he gulps._

" _It says, 'Always with you, in spirit, in heart and in physicality'," Roman whispers, fingers intertwining with his as Seth looks up at the man._

" _This was…:_

" _Family heirloom," Roman confirms, lips curving upwards as he wraps his arms around Seth's waist once more, moving forward to kiss him. Seth allows himself to fall into the kiss, arm swinging upwards to wrap around Roman's neck, breaking away after the urge to breath becomes too much._

" _I love it," he whispers, giving Roman an eskimo kiss before relaxing back into the bed, not realizing he had raised his body to meet Roman's._

* * *

He's rushing through his shopping at the mall, list in hand and hat hung low so no one recognizes him as who he is, when he stops suddenly at the next name on his list. With a small frown, Seth allows his gaze to lower down the page past the name he's been dreading, only for his frown to turn into a scowl when he realizes he can no longer procrastinate on buying for Roman when he sees that Roman is the last person he needs to buy presents for. He remembers, once upon a time, when he enjoyed buying for Roman and would allow himself to go nuts, buying gifts for the older man (and his kid, admittedly). But ever since his betrayal, he hasn't bought a thing for Roman - well, no, he's bought numerous items for Roman, he just hasn't given them to the other man, fear of being rejected by both Roman and even Hunter, at the time - not counting the small envelope he had hidden away in Roman's dresser, sure the older man would never find. And now, even though he and Roman have a small truce, Seth still finds himself unsure if buying the Samoan gifts would be crossing the line that Seth has created in order to avoid truly opening up to the other man, truly letting his heart have the forgiveness he craves.

With numerous people pushing past Seth, it takes him a few moments to slowly breath in deeply and square his shoulders as he looks around the crowded mall. He hates Christmas shopping, especially so close to the famous day itself, but when he came out this early afternoon, something within him felt that Amazon shopping was just too impersonal for his list. Fingers clutch at the ring around his neck, open for the world to see if they look close enough before he lets it go and hides it under his shirt, a reaction he has grown used to doing since he joined the Authority.

"Might as well attempt to begin," he whispers to himself, biting on his lower lip as he begins walking forward, looking through the stores he passes and knowing that there's no way he would ever find anything for Roman inside of them. He lets out a frustrated breath as minutes pass by, fingers removing his hat to tug on the strands of his soft hair before he places the hat back on when people begin noticing him. He can't help but think about how much easier shopping for Roman was when he was in a relationship with him. Hell, he can't help but think about how much easier this was when he knew what the Samoan had wanted for Christmas in the first place.

On a whim, he takes out his phone and scrolls through his contacts, thumb hovering over Roman's name, a pain going through him as he remembers changing it from the old name to a simple 'Reigns'. Shaking his head, he places his phone back into his pocket, letting out another breath before walking forwards some more, finding a store that has some potential and entering it before turning back around, realizing it was more so perfect for Roman's princess than Roman himself.

Another pang goes through Seth's body at the thought of her but he shakes his head and bites his lower lip, hand clenching around his phone as he wrinkles his nose at the smell of food. His stomach grumbles, a stark reminder that he does need to eat food and soon but he continues onwards, stopping by another storefront and looking inside, flurries of butterflies in his stomach. There's something about this store, he thinks, and as he steps inside, something settles within his stomach as he browses the first shelf he sees.

He doesn't know how long he's in the store, but by the time he's left it empty handed, he feels discouraged and less confident than ever, his upper teeth practically chewing through his lower lip as he grabs his phone and flips back to Roman's contact, finding a spot to sit down as he wonders if Roman would even answer. He knows, of course, that Roman probably _would_ answer, especially since they have a very light truce going on but there's something inside of him that has Seth believing that while this truce is a thing, Roman probably wouldn't appreciate being reminded of the time they were happily in love and how Seth had absolutely ruined that between them.

Clutching the ring once more, Seth lets out a small breath and looks back at his phone, foot tapping a familiar beat as he finally allows himself to tap on Roman's name and then click the 'phone' button.

Placing the phone to his ear, Seth lets out a small sigh before removing it and ending the call, a groan slipping out as he thinks about how much of a teenager he's acting like, head slamming down on the table in front of him as his bags fall under it.

"You're being stupid, Rollins," he whispers to himself, going to the one photo album he's kept throughout numerous phones, hidden away and password in tact on his photobucket album, heart aching at the memories of his first Christmas with Roman, having no idea just how much everything would change. Wanting to procrastinate for a little while longer, Seth peruses his phone's internet, looking at rumor sites for a laugh, twitter for a brief moment, instagram even briefer, and then tumblr, avoiding his tag because he's not a glutton for punishment, and can trust the people he follows to not reblog anything too outlandish.

He spends ten minutes on there, reblogging photos of himself, fellow wrestlers (it's insane how many photos of Roman he reblogs, but he'll never admit to it, if asked) before he decides to truly stop procrastinating and go back to the Samoan's contact, blowing out another huff of breath before arching his eyebrow at the text message on his phone.

 _(SMS) Are you actually going to call me again or ….?_

His heart pounds, and he didn't realize his call had gone through to Roman, can't believe he had actually forgotten the blunt manner in which Roman texts, wanting answers always, because that's just who he is. Letting out an exasperating breath over his own thoughts, Seth plays with his phone, not really pressing on Roman's number just yet, jumping when it vibrates in his hand, Roman's name coming up, causing him to scowl. How the hell does the man know him so well, still, he asks himself before opening up the text.

 _(SMS) Stop being scared and call me. I need to talk to you anyways._

A groan escapes from Seth at this point and he pinches the bridge of his nose, biting on his lower lip as he exits out of the text and staring at his phone, wondering why the older man needs to talk to him anyways. He knows that the two aren't close, not ever since Seth apologized to Dean and called a truce with Roman, even though he knows he needs to apologize to Roman, completely, at one point anyways.

And there truly is no reason why he could think of Roman needing to talk to him. It's not like they talk often outside of the arena's they work in anymore, and Seth knows that's mainly due to his own issues, his own fears and insecurities getting in the way. At the same time though, he can't help but wish that the reason Roman wants to talk to him is because Roman misses him and wants to go back to everything, to how it used to be, even though Seth knows how absurd that idea truly is. He's ruined things, and he's not treated the man he loves like an equal, like someone who matters, really, and no matter how much grovelling Seth could do and would do, if he could ever grow up and do it, he knows Roman deserves better, knows that is something Roman himself knows.

Really though, Seth doesn't understand why he hasn't given Roman the apology he deserves. He has his insecurities and his fears, yes, but - Roman deserves more, deserves the opportunity to receive closure. Maybe that's what Roman wants, he thinks. A small whimper escapes from Seth and he closes his eyes, letting out a deep breath before looking at his phone. He knows he's not being fair, knows that even he would want closure if he was in Roman's situation, but he can't help but feel like once that closure is given, the truce he has going on with Roman, however small and fragile it truly is, will break, and he'll be left on his own again.

Frowning once more, Seth takes a hold of his phone and is about to send a simple fine before it begins vibrating continuously, causing him to drop it in surprise and have people looking at him curiously. A breath escapes him as he flips it over so he can see the screen, not surprised at all to see Roman calling him himself, positive the other man grew tired of him waiting to grow a pair and call Roman. It brings Seth back to when they were together, and the happy times they shared before he shakes his head and lodges the thoughts and memories out of the forefront of his mind, teeth biting down gently on his lower lip as he places his thumb on the 'scroll to answer' button, indecision having him not answer the phone until it stops ringing. Feeling some relief that Roman finally hung up, Seth is about to place the phone back in his pocket before it starts ringing again and he lets out a small groan, trying not to smile as he remembers how persistent his ex-boyfriend can truly be.

"Might as well get this over with," He whispers to himself, squaring his shoulders and holding in a breath quickly before picking up his earphones from his pocket, plugging them in and placing them in his ears and then answering the phone. Silence remains for the few seconds it takes for the call to connect, and in that time, Seth finds himself feeling a range of emotions but also being sure that this is the right thing to do. While he's not ready to hear what Roman wants to talk to him about, he does know that he can stonewall the other man by talking about Christmas and gifts and _what the hell do you want this year_ and maybe, just maybe, Roman will forget why he originally wanted to talk to Seth about or why Seth called him in the first place.

Releasing his one breath, Seth looks at the phone and, upon seeing it connect the phone call, relaxes in his seat at the table, wishing he had thought to buy food before sitting down so he could appear busy. The moment has passed though and in the few moments it takes for the phone to truly connect, Seth wonders if he's about to vomit. It wouldn't surprise him, not when it came to Roman nor his emotions but he swallows down whatever butterflies try to come up and goes through his breathing exercises, heart pounding out of control when he finally hears Roman's voice through the phone.

For moments, it's quiet, and then, like ripping off a band-aid, Seth says one very loaded word to the older man, his heart pounding. "Hi."


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** Oh look, an actual chapter when I said there would be one. This is a surprise. I hope y'all enjoy this chapter. The real meat of the story begins with the next chapter. Come yell at me on tumblr about rolleigns chudovyygirl. And also, reviews are love.

* * *

 _The sky is pitch black as he slowly makes his way through the low-lit hallways, his hands fiddling with the envelope in his hands while he constantly checks to make sure he's alone in the practically empty arena. He knows that out front, there are numerous workers and wrestlers talking while disabling the ring and for that, he's thankful, because this one thing is one he doesn't want an attendance for - one he can't_ _ **afford**_ _to have an attendance for, admittedly. He's nervous all around for this reason, but not this reason alone, because he knows that if anyone catches him, he's not going to be able to explain himself properly, mouth forming stutters and stopping on words as he thinks up of words that could explain what he was doing anyways._

 _With a small breath, Seth opens the door to the locker room that he knows Roman is in and closes it after making sure the room is empty. If there's one thing he doesn't need, it's walking into Ambrose, or worse, Roman himself, and having to explain why he's in this room in the first place. Momentarily, he allows himself to become distracted over memories of being in this room with the two mentioned, his heart stuttering when he focuses too long on Roman. He continues to play with the envelope in his hands, upper teeth biting into his lower lip as he looks at Roman's name on the cover of it, written carefully, different from his normal writing so the older man doesn't realize it's from him immediately. Feeling like he has a frog in his throat, Seth takes a few careful steps into the room, letting the door slam shut and nearly frighten him out of his thoughts as he looks for the bag that belongs to Roman, the bag he recognizes so well since it was once given to Roman from Seth for their last Christmas._

 _His heart stops there, or at least, it feels like it, when he remembers their last Christmas together. Living together for a year, Seth was thinking about proposing after the holidays but had grown scared, the ring hiding out the entire time. Instead, he had plenty of other gifts to give the older man, and the Christmas had been an amazing event, Roman, himself and even Roman's kid having quite the amount of fun last year. To Seth, everything was perfect and he had hoped that nothing was ever going to change that._

 _But he had changed that and now he was experiencing Christmas all alone, and he had no idea what to do with that knowledge. Which is probably why he was holding an envelope that had two very important things inside of it - a letter, explaining everything in the only way Seth understood how to explain things, especially to Roman, and the ring. He can feel the ring inside of the envelope and his fingers trace the outline, not wanting to give it up just yet as he sits on the bench next to Roman's bag, dragging it over and opening it without much thought. He stills himself afterwards, biting on his bottom lip while setting the envelope down and looking at the inside of Roman's bag, surprised to find his favorite t-shirt right on top._

 _He finds himself surprised that six months after Seth took a chair to Roman's back (something he still cringes about, when he's alone and can let himself relax and let his guard down), Roman still has the last shirt he placed in his bag, and Seth let's his heart soar in hope before tramping it down and breathing calming breaths. He doesn't know why Roman has it, shouldn't assume, no matter how much he wants to. Instead, he places his hand on top of the clothing before feeling for Roman's hooded sweater, smiling when he finds it, removing it and putting it on himself, inhaling the scent that wafts from it before closing his eyes in remembrance and pain._

 _Shaking his head, Seth slowly grabs the envelope and hides it in the secret compartment of the bag, carefully making sure nothing is dislodged before he closes everything back up. He quickly shoots off a text to the one person who knows about the ring, the bag and the hidden compartment, his heart aching for the good times he had with Roman's kid before he places his phone into the pocket of the sweater, making his way towards the door and opening it to exit, not realizing that coming up behind him was a very confused ex-boyfriend, wondering just what the man had wanted in the locker room they no longer shared._

* * *

Roman finds the envelope when he's placing some of Joelle's smaller gifts inside of his dresser. He finds himself frowning as he picks it up, allowing his fingers to slide over the envelope while he looks at his name, trying to place the similar but not writing on the blank space. His heart pounds as he flips it over, wondering if there's anything on the back, only to be disappointed. He notices the ring inside of the envelope though, and his fingers go to it immediately, and he wonders, however briefly, if the ring was meant to be included.

It takes him a quick moment to open the envelope and turn it over, the ring falling out into his open palm immediately. Roman brings it up to his face, looking at it carefully, unable to stop himself from noticing how stunning the ring is, all gold with something etched onto the inside. He doesn't recognize the language, but feels like it's familiar, and he places it on each of his fingers, before realizing it fits on his ring finger, and his heart pounds over how good it looks on him, and he allows himself to briefly daydream about wearing something similar, something given to him from Seth. He shakes his head though, knows he shouldn't be thinking about that now, eyes falling back to the envelope and the pages of paper that have fallen out of it.

Picking them up and unfolding the pages, Roman arches an eyebrow when he recognizes the writing to belong to Seth, his heart doing double time as he grabs the envelope and compares the two pieces of writing, snorting softly when he realizes they are different, wondering what Seth was thinking when he wrote them. Taking in a deep breath, Roman opens the pages fully, biting on the inside of his cheek as he reads the words.

 _Roman,_

 _I won't be surprised if you throw these pages out after realizing I'm the one writing them, but I needed to get this out, I needed to… clear my conscious, I suppose, even though we both know how much I dislike that saying. I don't need to know if you ever read these pages, I think it may be better if you never mention it to me again but… I guess I'm going to classify this as one last Christmas present to you. Because that's what this is, really - my last gift to you, even though it's been six month since I betrayed Ambrose and you and joined Hunter. You probably don't want to hear about this, or that, but, I need to explain. And it's a lot to explain. So, get yourself comfortable, old man. I don't know how much you'll like me after this. If at all._

 _A day before I took a chair to you and Ambrose, Hunter had come to me. I didn't want to deal with him, especially so close to our match against him and the others, but he didn't really give me a chance to say no, forcing me to follow him somewhere private. There, he had told him that he knew about us - no surprise really, since we weren't really quiet - and that if we weren't careful, he would make sure that your court proceedings wouldn't go your way. I remember standing there in surprise, my mouth opening and closing like a damn fish out of water. I would have been fine if he had threatened you, or me, but… he threatened the possibility of you having your daughter in your life, Ro', and I couldn't… I didn't want to take that risk, because I knew how much she means to you._

 _I know that that's probably not a great reason for doing what I did to you but Ro', I need you to understand,_ _ **please**_ _. It might not seem like it but Roman, I had thought long and hard about whether or not to do anything that could hurt you. Please know I didn't want to - but please also know that this was the only thing I could think of that would hurt, but not nearly as much as losing your princess._

 _Roman, I need you to understand that I love you. I always loved you and I will always love you. And hurting you - it killed me Roman. The moment I took the chair to your back, I felt my heart crack into two, and that was all because I knew how much your heart was breaking. I never told you this, but I was going to propose, the last Christmas we spent together. But I didn't, because of my insecurities, my fears, and silly, childish reasons. I want you to have the ring though, because keeping it for myself, when it was always yours - it just doesn't feel right._

 _I don't know what else to really say, Ro'. Just that I love you. I'll always love you. You're it for me man, no matter how scary that idea is. And whether you read this today, tomorrow, years from now or never, that's alright with me. I just needed you to know this - or at least, I just needed you to write this._

 _I'm sorry._

When he finishes the letter, Roman finds himself blinking, eyes turning from the letter to the ring, his heart pounding inside of his chest. He had always wondered why Seth had done what he had done, especially since it had seemed so out of character for Seth. Biting on his lower lip, Roman lets out a small sigh, placing the paper down and looking at the ring once more, placing it on his finger again and feeling his cheeks heat up at how good it looks on him. Roman has no doubt that Seth was good at picking rings, he thinks to himself, lips curving into a small smile as his phone rings inside of his pocket. Taking it out, he finds himself surprised once again to realize it's Seth calling.

Answering it, he waits for it to connect only to frown when the line hangs up and he stares at the phone in confusion. He lets out a small chuckle, remembering the times Seth would always call him and then hang up, thinking the reason for the call was stupid and not worth it. Shaking his head, Roman couldn't help the fondness that rushed through him, biting on the inside of his cheek as he turns his phone on completely and taps on Seth's name, wondering what to write before grinning.

 _(SMS) Are you actually going to call me again or…?_

It's blunt, but Roman knows Seth will appreciate it slightly as he waits either for Seth's response or Seth's call. He's fine with either one, admittedly, and he finds himself turning red at the possibilities thanks to the last call they ever had together but he shakes his head and lets out a small breath. When minutes go by and Seth still hasn't let out a response, Roman can't help the aggravated growl that he lets out, sending out another text.

 _(SMS) Stop being scared and call me. I need to talk to you anyways_.

Roman has no doubt that this second text has probably worried Seth, but Roman - despite the truce the two have going, Roman can't help but feel like things between the two of them will combust soon and Roman doesn't know how to feel about that, doesn't know how to feel about the two of them and their history and Seth hurting him and the small truce they put together, even though Roman wishes it were _more_ and wishes he had gotten _more_ , gotten what Dean had and he shakes his head, knowing his own insecurities are eating at him and that it's been nearly ten minutes since his previous text.

Scowling, he takes his phone and dials Seth's number, waiting for the call to connect, and when it does, he lets out a small breath, grinning wide like it's the old days when he hears Seth's greeting.

"Hi back at ya," he says softly, looking down as if Seth can see him before waving his hand in front of him, eyes catching sight of the papers, hands moving forward to grab them. For a few moments, he's quiet, just listening to Seth breathe before he clears his throat and rubs his neck gently, biting on the inside of his cheek.

"So, why did you call in the first place?" He asks, looking around before deciding to walk around, nervous energy coursing through his entire body as his fingers tap out a familiar tune to try and calm himself down. He has to stop when he hears Seth's response, an eyebrow arching as he tries to comprehend the words before choking back a laugh.

"You were wanting to know what I wanted for Christmas? You haven't given me anything for Christmas since -" he stops there, throat becoming dry as he tries not to think of their last Christmas together, and he knows Seth is just as awkward as he is on the opposite end of the line, and he lets out a small breath.

"I uh, I don't know man. Just… use your best thoughts?" He says slowly, brow furrowing as he looks down at the ring in front of him, letting out another breath before continuing, "Can you come over?" The question slips free and he cringes, a groan escaping from him as he shakes his head. "Actually, no. Can we meet somewhere, tomorrow? I'm not free today but tomorrow - I need to talk to you and the things I need to say are better said face to face," he finishes, the last bit of his statement coming out in a rush as he waits for Seth to answer him.

"Yeah, uh, alright. Just before lunch at the park?" Roman hears Seth ask and he nods his head before realizing Seth can't see him and replies in the affirmative, telling Seth he'll see him tomorrow.

* * *

It's twenty minutes before lunch as Roman waits for Seth, his coat wrapped around him as he looks at the papers in his lap, heart racing in his chest. He hates confrontations, hates asking people about things but this is something he can't let go, and when he finally spots Seth, he remains sitting, biting on the inside of his cheek until Seth is standing in front of him, looking at him with flushed cheeks and stray strands of hair. Roman hates to admit that Seth looks good, that he _always_ looks good, especially as of late, but he does admit it to himself, shaking his head lightly before looking at his lap with a furrowed brow.

"You should sit down," he says, patting the seat next to him on the empty park bench, watching Seth carefully as Seth watches him. They're both insecure, he realizes and he doesn't know what to say about that so instead, he focuses on the pages in his lap, and how crumpled they are. He's re-read the pages numerous times since the previous day, played with the edges and touched the words, hoping he could understand them, but he couldn't, so he's hoping Seth can help him, hoping -

"Were you - were the words you wrote real?" He asks, his voice cracking at the last word as he hands over the pages, hovering a little before releasing them completely and placing his hand in his pocket, clenching the ring hidden there tightly. The two of them stay quiet and he watches Seth carefully, noticing the ticks he had tried to forget, and all he wants to do is kiss him but instead he frowns, not sure what he could do or what the other man is thinking and how to react because of it.

"Every word was the truth," Seth whispers after what feels like an eternity and Roman finds himself deflating, though he doesn't understand why. Letting out a small sigh, he looks down at his feet before looking back at Seth, not surprised to find Seth looking back at him. Opening and closing his mouth, he ponders on what he could say before looking away and around the empty park, remembering the good times they shared here before he looks back at Seth, not realizing how much closer they've become.

"I really am sorry!" Seth blurts out and Roman feels his heart stopping, not for one minute believing he heard correctly. He stares at Seth, partially confused and partially excited before he looks away, continuing to bite on the inside of his cheek as he tilts his head back and watches the clouds pass them by.

"You said that, in the letter," Roman whispers, not looking at Seth, not wanting him to see the vulnerability he knows is in his eyes.

"Yes, but that's not what I'm apologizing for. I'm apologizing for everything since then. Wrestlemania, mocking you, attacking you when I came back from injury," Seth says, voice trailing off as Roman looks over and sees the regret in his eyes.

Roman never thought about those moments, but going back, he remembers them hurting and his heart aches at the memories, and he lets out another breath before turning towards him with a soft smile, not sure what else to say.

"So, when did you get the letter to me?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** I'm super impressed that I managed to update the third day in a row. This is unheard of for me. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter, and the teases. Just know everything will get even better in the next chapter. There's two flashbacks in this chapter instead of one, but that's to make up for tomorrow's chapter, since it won't begin with a flashback like the others.

* * *

" _So, when did you get this letter to me?" Seth hears Roman ask, and he can't help the snort that escapes from him as he slowly allows his body to relax. It's not cold enough out for their jackets, but he knows that neither of them know how long they'll be outside together, so he doesn't mind the thickness that it provides. Not only that, but Seth knows he'll chose to see it as an escape if he needs to hide his face somehow. Instead of staying inside of his head for a long time like he normally would in a moment such as this, Seth finds himself turning towards Roman and blowing out a small breath, his hair going upwards before falling down, Roman moving it to the side before Seth can do so himself._

" _Sorry," Roman whispers and his voice is soft enough that Seth knows it was an automatic response, but it still causes the younger man to turn red, and he knows he's caught when Roman lets out a small chuckle._

" _Don't...don't worry about it," Seth responds when he can feel the heat from his cheeks leave his body. He knows, of course, that the two of them were going down this road again, were getting reacquainted with one another and even slowly beginning to act like they did when they were together - on tv, especially - was something that excited_ _ **him**_ _, but he didn't know about Roman, and that thought left him shifting his body in curiosity before turning towards Roman so he can answer his question._

" _Uh, I slipped it into your bag one night while everyone was working on dismembering the ring, the first Christmas after that June," Seth admits softly and he can't help but furrow his brow when he notices Roman frowning, as if he's trying to remember something._

" _I saw you leaving my locker room that night," Roman whispers, looking at Seth with an arched eyebrow as Seth feels his heart stop suddenly before it begins pounding heavily in his chest. His throat dries up and he shifts on the park bench, fingers tapping on his thigh as Roman continues to look at him. "I never said anything because I never found anything out of normal but -" Roman bites his lip here and shakes his head, and Seth finds himself wondering what's going on through the Samoan's mind, "But I always wondered what you were doing there that night." The two of the stay quiet for numerous minutes as Seth watches the few people outside within the park, his heart slowly becoming normal inside of his chest as he looks at Roman and bites his lip, wondering something._

 _When did you find it?" Seth asks quietly, arching an eyebrow when Roman turns towards him with a small laugh._

" _A few minutes before your first call, actually," Roman admits and Seth has to blink back the surprise, though by the chuckle Roman lets out, he knows he wasn't nearly as successful as he would have wanted._

" _Talk about timing," Seth whispers, mainly to himself though he knows Roman heard him, knows the two of them are incredibly close as he turns to face the man and is welcomed by the warmth radiating off of him. Seth lets out a small sigh and bites his lower lip, eyes travelling down to Roman's lips before he looks back up at Roman's face and tilts his head, not surprised to find a hidden question in the way Roman has an arched eyebrow and a small smirk forming._

" _I had Joelle hide the letter the next time you were home," Seth huffs after a few minutes of trying to hold out on the man and Roman laughs, the noise going through Seth in way he has missed the past few years. He doesn't say anything else and neither does Roman, with the two of them instead, watching the weather and nature take its course in the park surrounding them. Seth doesn't know how long it's been before his stomach grumbles and when he jolts out of his comfortable stupor, he finds himself surprised to find the sky is darkening and the two of them have been outside for hours, just taking comfort in one another's presence instead of trying to talk._

" _Want to come over?" Seth hears Roman ask and he knows he should say no, should turn Roman down but -_

" _Yeah, alright," he whispers with a small smile, cheeks flushed._

* * *

Waking up on the 23rd of December is… different, for Seth. Instead of waking up cold and lonely like he has for the past few years, he wakes up surrounded in warmth and content, a pair of feet sliding between his, inching his socks lower and lower, causing him to let out a small chuckle as he opens his eyes and seeing Roman looking at him. He can feel the heat go through his entire body as he wraps his arms around Roman's waist, and he knows that this is fast, but - the two of them always went fast with one another.

He remembers returning to Roman's house the previous night and talking for hours about anything and everything - remembers yawning and standing to go home before Roman told him to stay and handed him a pair of PJs that he knew were his and realized he must have left during everything. He remembers falling into Roman's bed with a comfortable sigh, inhaling the scent of the older man that surrounded him before watching Roman fall in after him the two of them facing one another and barely touching.

He can't help but wonder when their subconscious took over and allowed them to cuddle with one another. Not that he's complaining, admittedly, but -

"Get of your mind, already," Roman whispers to him and Seth ducks his face, a small smile forming as his eyes look up at Roman until he cools down from the embarrassment and he allows himself to look at Roman completely. Roman looks good - he always looks good - but Seth allows himself to really look for the first time in forever and he doesn't know if he's torn between finishing his Christmas shopping for the man or staying in bed with him and getting reacquainted with the man next to him.

But would Roman want to get reacquainted with _him_? Seth honestly doesn't know and because of that, he finds himself untangling his limbs from Roman and getting up and out of the bed, grinning despite his turned back, when he hears Roman huff.

"Where are you goin'?" Roman asks while Seth picks up the clothes he placed on the dresser with a chuckle, turning back to Roman and leaning against the bed with his knees, shrugging softly.

"I need to finish my Christmas shopping for you," he admits, cheeks flushing a little when Roman scoffs and arches his eyebrow before his lips curl into a smirk and Seth wonders what could possibly be going on in the older man's mind as he gets out of the bed and towards him.

"Why can't my Christmas gift just be you?" Roman whispers into his ear and Seth swears his heart stops as he lets out a small sound, arching backwards and looking at the older man with an arched eyebrow, cheeks turning a bright red. He's not an idiot, he remembers that when they were together, Roman had had a healthy sex drive but - Seth found himself unsure, wondering if Roman really wanted this or if he was just-

"Out of your mind, baby boy," Roman whispers, hands cradling his head before leaning backwards, giving Seth some space with a small smile on his face. "How 'bout this - you get me a few things for Christmas: a gold chain can be one thing, or a couple of notebooks would be nice, maybe even a surprise, because contrary to your belief, I'm sure, you know what things I'm into," Roman chuckles with a small quirk of his lips as Seth relaxes and nods his head lightly, wondering why he wants a gold chain.

"And when all is said and done, you come back here, we talk about everything and…. get things cleared out, spend Christmas Eve and Christmas together and hopefully….reconnect?" Roman finishes, trialing off lightly as his statement turns into a question and Seth finds himself completely surprised, wondering what Roman could possibly have to worry about when it comes to him.

Biting his lower lip, Seth makes a split second decision, stepping close to Roman and leaning down, placing his lips on Roman's and cradling his head, letting Roman's surprise end before taking the lead on the kiss, opening their mouths and pressing himself close to the Samoan, grinning when Roman moans softly. He lets himself get lost in the kiss, his heart rate picking up while his fingers comb through Roman's hair and he finds himself growing half hard. He knows Roman's reacting the same way, especially when Roman thrusts into him but with a small whine, he backs away, leaning his forehead against Roman's while panting, his fingers tugging lightly on the strands of hair he had grasped.

"I'll come back. And we'll definitely reconnect," Seth says with his voice soft as Roman nods, looking up at him, though not by much. Seth bites on his lower lip and he notices Roman's eyes dilating, and remembering what that means from when they were in a relationship, Seth steps back with a small smirk on his face.

"I'll be back in a few hours." Seth says while Roman nods and Seth grabs his wallet, leaning forward and kissing Roman once more before making his way out of the room, down the stairs and out of the house, leaving a very still Roman still on the bed, biting on the inside of his cheek.

* * *

 _Roman finds himself feeling surprised over how he had asked Roman to come over, not having planned on doing anything remotely related to asking him that but when Roman had watched Seth, had seen the insecurities on his face, he found he couldn't stop himself from asking nonetheless._

 _He finds himself even more surprised though when Seth agrees and after taking a few moments to gather himself, Roman stands up from the bench and holds out his hand, aiding Seth in standing, on the off chance that his knee has issues with park benches but mainly because he just wants to_ _ **touch**_ _the younger man again. His lips curl to form a small smile as his cheeks flush when he feels the heat from Seth's hand, but he ignores everything, all while holding onto Seth's hand still as he begins walking towards his home, thankful it's not too far from the park. The two are quiet, and Roman can't help but wonder if it's because Seth is regretting his answer or because Seth has realized that Roman lives in the home they had chosen to move into together, a few weeks before that fateful day in June._

 _When the two of them finally get to the driveway, he watches Seth carefully, recognizing the signs of Seth's breath hitching - his eyes widen and his palm sweats and Roman squeezes Seth's hand because he can, Seth's eyes turning towards Roman._

" _You didn't - you didn't back out of buying the home?" Seth questions, his voice soft and Roman shakes his head, feeling a little insecure as he lets out a small breath. They had been living together already for two years when they had decided to move into a larger house, one not full of reminders of Roman's ex on his end, admittedly. They had decided on the house -_ _ **this**_ _house - and had started the buying process, and then Seth had joined the Authority and Roman needed to think a lot on whether or not he wanted to continue buying the house, especially because he knew of how much pain he was in. Nearly two weeks later he had decided to go through with the buy and now, years later, it wasn't something he regretted; though, many of his family members did believe he was masochistic for staying in this house._

" _Ready to go in?" He asks, waiting for Seth's response before letting out a breath and unlocking the door, letting Seth enter and look around the home, seeing how he decorated it - and how similar it was to Seth's designs. He takes off his coat, takes Seth's coat from him and places them in his front hall closet, kicking off his shoes before heading towards the kitchen, grabbing two bottles of water and handing one to Seth before taking a seat at the dining room table, not wanting to go into the formal living area just yet, since he does feel himself more comfortable with Seth than that._

 _Taking a sip from his water bottle, Roman looks at Seth carefully, wondering how he could begin the conversation he knows the two of them need to have. Instead of being forthcoming though, Roman allows himself to look at Seth and see how much he's changed since everything happened. After a few minutes of silence though, Roman knows he needs to say something or else things will begin to feel awkward, and that is one thing he doesn't want to happen between the two of them._

" _So, how did you get my sneaky daughter to hide the letter?" Roman asks and with that question, all of the awkwardness that was slowly beginning to grow disappeared, and the two started having a conversation like they used to, including a various set of topics that allowed one another to get used to one another all over again, and for the better, but at the same time, avoiding the things they_ _ **really**_ _needed to talk about._

* * *

Roman, instead of watching the clock slowly tick by, decided to bring up the rest of the gifts that needed to come out of hiding and place them under the Christmas tree that he had set up two weeks previously with his kid for her birthday, excitement coursing through him as he wondered how long Seth was going to be. He figured Seth would wrap - or have someone wrap for him, admittedly - at the mall, but the younger man seemed so hesitant on getting Roman anything at all, that as he grabbed the few gifts he had gotten for Seth for their last Christmas together but never gave away because of the betrayal, Roman wondered if Seth would truly return by the night's end.

Shaking his head, Roman knew he needed to have faith in his ex-boyfriend, no matter how hard it was lately. But they had called a truce, once upon a time, a year ago really, which strengthened only a few months ago, but - no, he knew better. With a frustrated sigh, Roman takes the stairs down to his tree, stopping suddenly when he sees Seth placing a few gifts under it, arching an eyebrow when he realizes he's kept himself busy long enough that it's gotten completely dark out and Seth returned without Roman hearing him.

"Hey," Seth says and Roman smiles lightly, finishing his walk down the stairs and placing the rest of his gifts underneath the tree, knowing Seth saw his name on them by the arch of his own eyebrow and the curve of his lips.

"I uh, I brought beer. Didn't know if you had any, since I know you prefer eggnog around this time of year, but-" Seth begins before trailing off while Roman grins, his heart fluttering happily in his chest as he steps forward and wraps his arms around Seth, letting him relax into the feeling of Seth in his arms.

"Let's grab a few beers," Roman begins to say while pulling away and walking towards the switches, turning off lights so he can go upstairs after, "And then go upstairs and talk in bed," he finishes, arching an eyebrow when Seth's cheeks turn red, causing him to chuckle.

"Just talk, baby boy, unless you ever want more," he teases, eyes twinkling as Seth nods a moment later, fanning himself while Roman heads to the kitchen with a smirk. He finds himself feeling a jolt of pride rushing through his body, knowing that he can still cause Seth to flush, and he wonders if the flush continues to go down Seth's entire body before he shakes his head of the thoughts and grabs two beers from the fridge, passing one to Seth on the stairs, their fingers touching, electricity rushing through the both of them.

He's not surprised to find himself looking at Seth's lips, especially when his tongue darts out to moisten them but he focuses on climbing the stairs instead when he feels himself hardening, briefly remembering their foray into passion before Seth left earlier, wondering if it'll happen again any time soon.

Finally arriving to the bedroom, Roman makes his way to his side subconsciously, not realizing that Seth is staring at him until he's comfortable in the bed, his own cheeks turning red as he bites the inside of his cheek and shrugs.

"It was kind of just… muscle memory, by the time we broke up," he responds softly and Seth nods, making his way around to his side of the bed before getting it and letting out a soft sigh, his body deflating in relaxation, causing Roman to grin into his just opened beer before taking a sip, turning the television on with low volume as he watches the other man. They stay quiet while Roman searches for something lighthearted and funny to watch, essentially stopping his channel-flicking on _The Simpsons_ before he looks towards Seth and cuddles into the pillows, his beer gone. And while one beer is never enough for Roman's tongue to loosen, for him to say things he normally can't, he wishes it was because there are so many things he would love to tell Seth but doesn't know how to do so

"You're never tongue tied around me," Seth whispers, turning towards Roman and Roman nods, knowing the words are true but not knowing how to respond. Even when Roman found himself falling for Seth, wanting to ask Seth out back when they were tag team partners, he never ended up tongue tied, always knew what he wanted to say and how, so this was a new feeling for him, one that Roman didn't quite understand just yet.

The only thing Roman does know though, is that the words he wants to say are words that he needs to think about, words that will pack a punch and he feels like Seth might resent him for them, but - "Can we talk tomorrow? I don't…." Roman begins before blowing out a frustrated sigh, relaxing when Seth cradles his head and kisses his forehead, nodding.

"Tomorrow. Everything gets said, and everything is out in the open." Seth whispers, tangling their legs and feet together, arms wrapping around him. "For now, let's just fall asleep together like the old days," Seth adds and Roman nods, his own arms coming up to hold on to Seth, his eyes slipping closed as the two of them fall asleep.


End file.
